Gesundheit
by Orion.R.Black
Summary: Akaya sneezes. I managed to write a fic about it. Joy.


**Disclaimer**: PoT's not mine. Obviously.

**Author's note:** Based on the belief that if you sneeze, it means someone else is talking about you behind your back. Had a sneezing fit today, so was inspired to write a fic. Oh how bored I must've been.

* * *

Akaya woke up in a sneezing fit. Sniffling, he looked beside his bed at the clock. 5:03 A.M. It was way too early for people to be talking about him. He sighed and got out of bed, ruffling his hair and yawning. At least he got up in time today, he thought, shooting his long since broken alarm clock a nasty look.

He walked to the kitchen. No one else was awake at this ungodly hour. Looking around furtively, careful not to wake his parents or his older sister, Akaya dug around the fridge and found his daily chocolate ice cream. He took the whole quart to his room. Akaya sneezed again. –Censored word–. Who's talking about him behind his back?Quickly changing into his school uniform and grabbing his tennis bag, he headed out the door, ice cream still in hand. He finished it waiting for the bus and tossed to empty carton behind him in the bushes. No worries about littering. Some good samaritan will come along and throw it away, like the last two years. Such virtuous souls to be concerned about the environment. Or maybe they just wanted to stop the town's cat problem.

Every day at 5:28, cats will come by for a lick of Akaya's ice cream. And usually staying the rest of the day. Akaya was proud to hold himself responsible for bringing in so many families of cats. They followed him everywhere. They loved him. And his ice cream. Especially his ice cream. Akaya liked the black cats in particular. Some he's got trained to run across other people's paths. It was cute. Though some people didn't seem to appreciate him lightening up the mood in this dismal town.

A furry black head popped into view from inside the bushes. "Hello," Akaya bent down and scratched its head. Animals weren't allowed in the bus. Or school, for that matter. He decided to stow the cat away in his tennis bag.

The bus arrived a few minutes later. Akaya got on, and waved cheerily at the bus stop driver, who sweatdropped. At least it's not Sunday morning. That'll save him his weekly walk to the back of the bus to wake up the sleeping second year. The cat meowed. Akaya sneezed. The bus driver gave him a weird look as Akaya ran for the safety of his usual seat in the back. He opened the tennis bag slightly to reach in and pet the little black cat.

By the time the bus reached Rikkai Dai Fuzoku, Akaya was asleep in his seat. The cat meowed, pawing at his hand. He woke up, and sneezed. Ah. He seemed to be popular today. Akaya headed off to his homeroom. At least there's no before school tennis practice today. It's not good for him to go all bloodshot this early. It'll put him in a bad mood for the rest of the day. And the others really want that. Trust me.

Classes passed quickly. Akaya slept, as always. He didn't need to pay attention; he was Rikkai's Junior Ace, after all. Besides, Yagyuu would explain anything he didn't understand, and he could always threaten homework assignments out of one of the class nerds.

Lunch came, and Akaya was the first out of the door. He sought out the strawberry red hair amongst the crowd. "Marui!" He waved to the self proclaimed tensai to save him a seat. Akaya didn't bring his bento box today, and Marui always brought more than was humanely possible to eat. He was sure he could beg at least some sushi rolls out of his sempai.

He slid into the spot next to Marui, who gave the boy an apprehensive look. Seeing that Akaya came empty handed except for his tennis bag, Marui put a possessive arm around his humongous bento box as he opened it. Sushi spotted.

"–only one left next year. I'm not so sure about trusting him to–" Niou broke off his conversation with Yagyuu and Yanagi as they approached the table. Akaya sneezed. Several times. Near Marui's food. Pulling a disgusted face, Marui shoved the sneezed at portion of his lunch towards Akaya. Such generosity.

"You're not sick, are you, Kirihara-kun?" asked Yagyuu, concerned.

Yanagi smiled, "If you're not feeling well, I can ask Inui to whip up a special vegetable juice that'll cure what ever ails you."

"N–no thanks," stammered Akaya. He could just imagine lighting flashing in the background. He'd (mercifully) never had the pleasure of downing one of the colorful concoctions, but he didn't doubt he wouldn't be sick after. He'd be dead.

Akaya reached into his tennis bag, and sat the cat on his lap. It nuzzled his hand, begging for the sushi he held.

Yanagi raised an eyebrow. "Is that a––"

"Kitty!!" Marui bounced up from his seat and snatched the cat from Akaya's hands, twirling it in the air. "It's a kitty! I _love_ kitties!!"

Akaya sneezed again. A couple of teachers paused in their conversation, giving Marui a funny look, who had just managed to hide the cat in bento box. He somehow passed off the frenzied meowing into a coughing fit until the crowd turned away.

They quickly turned back, however, as Marui's anguished scream tore through the air. Yanagi and Yagyuu ushered people away as Marui cried over his half devoured food. Akaya saved the cat and kissed it on the head, trying to calm it down. Niou, being no help at all, continued to laugh uproariously.

Akaya sneezed. This was getting annoying. And the cat was becoming fidgety. Sighing, Akaya finally let to cat go. Run, and be free. Cause mayhem while you're at it. Cross as many people's paths as you can on your quest for food.

Mass hysteria broke out. Niou took it upon himself to set off every fire alarm in the school. Akaya took his leave.

The next day, Akaya found the school, leftover lunches abandoned from the day before scattered everywhere, overrun by cats. Almost all the students were curiously missing. Apparently someone who was ill went around sneezing and passed the cold around. Akaya shrugged and played with the kitties at his feet.

–END–


End file.
